The Prototype

Chapter 9

As the dust settled around them in the Australian desert, Rowan stood there, wide-eyed and visibly shaken. "DID YOU SEE HER ETHAN?" I mean, Maia—she was like some kind of—dark goddess or something! And that voice—I swear I've never heard anything like—"

Ethan cut him off with a look. "I know, Rowan. But watch your mouth; she's still my girl."

Rowan, gulping down his nerves, nodded. "Right. Sorry."

"Now," Ethan continued, trying to keep them focused, "you've got the second piece, yeah?"

Rowan opened Ethan's bag, revealing the two fragments of the prototype, their glow faint but unmistakable in the dim desert light. "Safe and sound," he said, patting the bag as if to reassure himself more than Ethan.

They both set their coordinates, watches flashing as they pinged the location of an ancient tomb buried deep within the desert sands. Noticing the shift in energy around them, realizing the countdown on their watches now hitting hour 3. Maia had just entered 

The Bargaining stage. 

Ethan gazed at the time counting down for a while on his wrist. Anticipation and determination running through his veins. The heat was suffocating as they parked and climbed out of the car, the silent, sprawling desert landscape stretching for miles around them. The tomb lay ahead, partially hidden beneath layers of sunbaked sand and dust, and as they approached, Ethan and Rowan kept a careful eye on their surroundings, feeling the weight of the strange happenings that had been following them since New York.

Together, they stepped inside, their flashlights casting shadows that danced against the stone walls. Every sound seemed amplified in the stillness, each step crunching against the floor in what felt like an endless silence. But as they reached the next passage, a muffled noise stopped them cold—a faint murmur, followed by a thud echoing through the tomb.

Rowan looked at Ethan, his face pale. "Did you hear that?"

Ethan nodded, his eyes narrowed. They approached the noise slowly, sticking to the wall as they crept forward. Just as they rounded the corner, flashlights poised to confront whatever they'd heard, they nearly collided with a figure standing in the shadows. They all screamed, each one stumbling back in shock before a sudden realization dawned, breaking the tension into a mix of confusion and surprise.

Rowan's eyes widened, and he stammered, "Solace?"

The woman blinked, her own flashlight shaking slightly as she tried to process who was in front of her. "Rowan?"

They stared at each other, the surprise of recognition evident, leaving Ethan standing there, looking between them, baffled. "Hold on—you two know each other?"

Rowan nodded, still a bit dumbfounded. "Yeah... Solace was one of my partners in an archaeology group a few years back. Haven't seen her in... what, three years?"

Solace crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow. "Maybe that's because you never answered your phone, Rowan. What the hell are you doing here?"

Rowan opened his mouth to answer, glancing over at Ethan as he searched for an explanation. "It's... a long story. We're kind of on a tight schedule right now. But... how about you? What are you doing here?"

Solace shook her head, still studying the two of them with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion. "I could ask you the same question. Oh wait, I just did. But something tells me we're after the same thing, aren't we?"

Ethan's gaze shifted, feeling both wary and grateful. "That depends. How much do you know about what's going on out there?" He gestured to the world beyond the tomb walls.